You need to go check if there is a Tom and Chee in your area immediately — because if there is, your life just got exponentially better and if not, you need to move.
Tom and Chee is an unapologetically indulgent restaurant chain that specializes in grilled cheese. It’s difficult to imagine anything better than two slices of hot toast sealed together by melty cheese, but Tom and Chee manages to take this decadent comfort food up a notch and turn it into a full fledged meal.
Photo by Lexi Nickens
Let me start with the absolute best part of Tom and Chee: mac and cheese on a grilled cheese sandwich. You can literally put a pile of cheesy carbs between two slabs of cheesy carbs. Eat this before you die.
Photo by Lexi Nickens
If you’re still thinking “well, I could do that at home,” stop, because Tom and Chee does it better. Their grilled cheese maintains the perfect balance of of crunchy, toastiness on the bread and gooeyness of the cheese (without using too much grease).
Besides the delicious taste of the food, going to Tom and Chee is legitimately fun. Getting to build your own sandwich from their customizable menu makes you feel as creative as da Vinci and as powerful as Alexander the Great. Of course, if you’re in a more Homer Simpson mood, you can just order straight off their signature menu.
Photo by Lexi Nickens
Whatever direction you take, Tom and Chee isn’t just about slapping some American cheese on bread (but you can do that too, if you want). They offer a variety of regular cheese, fancy cheese (think smoked Gouda and brie), fresh vegetables, meats, homemade sauces, and even potato chips for added crunch.
Photo by Lexi Nickens
Tom and Chee even offers a number of options for those with dietary concerns: gluten-free bread, vegan cheese, pesto made with sunflower seeds, fresh salads, and light tomato soups.
With all these options available, getting just one sandwich may seem impossible. So don’t. For maximum enjoyment, get two different half-sandwiches; you get double the fun for the same price.
Photo courtesy of @tomandchee
Or just get one half sandwich to save room for dessert because they have actual donut grilled cheeses. I have honestly never had the guts to try one of these, but their donut grilled cheeses are what made them famous and these sandwiches look absolutely divine.
Prices vary by location, and going crazy on the customizable menu will cost more than if you ordered off the signature menu. Still, as long as you’re able to contain yourself, you can have all of this decadence for less than $10 dollars.